Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
Empowering Women, Driving Impact, Inspiring Growth
#WECAN - Impact and Growth
Boosting business growth by upskilling, developing and empowering women in business.
Unlocking opportunities and growth for women in every sphere of life.
#WECAN – Impact and Growth is designed to support women in business who want to grow - in confidence, in capability, in clarity, and in their ability to create impact in their work and personal lives.
It is relevant for women at every stage of their life and career including those who are:
- Leading teams or projects
- Running early stage or more established businesses
- Shaping their career direction
- Building confidence or exploring what comes next
- Wanting to develop their potential and might not see themselves as leaders
For SMEs, the programme offers a powerful way to invest in women across the organisation - strengthening skills, confidence, and future capability in a way that benefits individuals and the wider business.
At the heart of the programme is Women Leading With Impact:
Women Leading with Impact is a 12 month development series delivered by The Leadership Centre at Leeds Beckett University, enriched by mentoring and peer learning. It provides practical tools, space for reflection, and a structured environment that helps women grow in ways that feel authentic to them.
Beyond the development series, #WECAN offers events and roundtables focused on new thinking, practical learning, and shared experience, giving women the opportunity to deepen their development and champion one another's progress in a purposeful, professional setting. Programme participants will also be offered a complimentary place to invite a male ally, recognising that their voices are essential to the conversation on gender equity and their influence is vital in driving meaningful, lasting change.
#WECAN demonstrates our commitment as an anchor institution to regional development. At Leeds Business School, that begins with developing the people that build the businesses that grow the region. This targeted intervention through our #WECAN programme continues to deliver positive outcomes and I encourage women leaders to take advantage of this opportunity.
in partnership with
#WECAN project legacy
#WECAN (Women Empowered through Coaching and Networking) began as an ESF funded research programme delivered by Leeds Beckett University, Edge Hill University, and Social Enterprise Yorkshire and Humber (SEYH) from 2021-23. It continued in 2024-25 with support from Lloyds Bank, extending its impact across regions and sectors.
The programme was created to elevate the leadership potential of women across the Leeds City Region and beyond, providing entrepreneurs, founders, and leaders with the tools, confidence, and connections to grow and thrive.
hear from our community
We are dedicated to supporting women in business across the Leeds City region to grow, strengthen their skills, confidence and future leadership capability.
Milly Harton
"#WECAN was my favourite training programme to take part in. Our instructor made the theory easy to understand and genuinely engaging, bringing it to life with real world examples and a bit of fun. We explored how the concepts applied to our individual roles and the wider business, which led to tangible outcomes like the BlueberryBuzz Newsletter and our new Company Values - impact we still see today.
"On a personal level, it changed how I approach my role and people management, showing me that it's not 'one size fits all' and giving me the confidence to try, learn and grow."
Amy Leadbetter
"The #WECAN programme has been an incredibly valuable experience for me from start to finish, on a personal and professional level. It has been a fantastic way to build on my skills, whilst also expanding my knowledge and confidence in identifying and implementing the most effective communication styles.
"It was great to spend the sessions with managers working within other industries and to work together on the practical workshops, seeing how the course is supporting them in overcoming their own challenges. The practical tools, whether this was based on research or real-world application, were immediately useful in my day-to-day role, particularly in managing people and contributing more strategically."
Imogen Steiner
"The #WECAN course created a rare, open space for our team to step back, reflect and have honest conversations about strategy, leadership and how we work together. Having an external perspective was invaluable - it challenged our thinking, held a mirror up to our management styles, and prompted changes we still use today. Completing the course early in my career also gave me the confidence to develop my skills and step into more of a management role."
We believe the future of business must be more inclusive than its past. At Leeds Business School, we're not just supporting women in business, we're actively closing the leadership gap. Through the Centre for Entrepreneurship and Knowledge Exchange, the #WECAN programme is designed to do more than develop talent; it accelerates leadership capability, equipping women to lead, scale, and thrive in today’s fast-moving SME landscape.
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THE LEADERSHIP CENTRE
Visit the Leadership CentreOur Leadership Centre specialises in developing confident, capable and imaginative leaders, providing tailored training and professional qualifications to suit the needs of both individuals and organisations.
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Leeds Business School
Visit Leeds Business SchoolWe deliver engaging programmes to provide you with the right skills and support your professional development through the direct application of theory to practice.
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